After yet another accident (hit by a car on the downhill and hospitalised with 5 ribs broken at many places, whole in one lung, head concussion, etc.), I had one training ride in two months before leaving for this year's Alps Tour. The tour was, however, very successful and I had a record number of height metres in one day (8272m) on the 277 km ride of the Monte Grappa Challenge. The weather was lovely throughout even if a bit too hot many times. Great places were visited, but I had problems with photos and then dropped my camera on the ground and only had iPhone photos for the second half.

Another tour of the Alps for this Summer was being planned, but nearly had to be cancelled due to an accident in early June, when I fractured my collar bone and hurt my head and right leg. I had the goal of completing climbing all asphalted pass roads in the Alps from 1700m and higher (which I have detailed in a list at the cycloclimbing.com site).

The goal this Summer was to make sure I have climbed every asphalted (at least one side) pass throughout the whole of the Alps above 1700m (which I have detailed in a list at the cycloclimbing.com site). I also wanted to include some difficult roads that are not passes.

Another tour of the mighty Alps, which lasted 25 days. I cycled only 3615 km this time (around the same distance as the Tour de France) and climbed merely 150 different passes (some more than once) of which 103 were new to me. It added up to 79544m height metres.

27 days of cycling throughout the Pyrenées and Cantabria (start and finish in Lourdes). On 27 days I cycled 4474 km (165,7 km/day); 83551m (3095m/day) (height meters) and visited ca. 241 cols. (Only counting the 24 full cycling days, I did 4131,5 km (172,1 km/day) and 77108m (3213m/day).) The longest day was 274,5 km from Esterri d'Aneu in Spain to Lourdes (via Mourenx). Max height meters on one day was 4270m. Got a gold classification in the l'Etape du Tour race (the day after cycling 274,5 km) on a half-decent time around 6h30mins (ca. 2 hours slower than the Tour de France winner this year). Steepest was the famous Angliru climb in Asturia (26%). Lots of facts, but some nice photos and stories.

I thought it was not so difficult to go up to the Gavia pass, but it might have something to do with getting used to these long and steep climbs. I also learned from the italian the day before that the Gavia road had been paved since two years back all the way (something I was not totally sure on after reading about it elsewhere). The steep part begins at Sta Caterina Valfurva (1738 m). Before this I took the photo just beside here and it is apparently the Punta S. Matteo mountain top (3678 m) one sees here (it looked much better in real life!). I was a very beautiful road to go up and it seemed so nice and still it was difficult to really comprehend I would be in Milano later in the day. Just behind the corner where I took the photo, cows were walking up a terribly small path in the terribly steep hillside. I wondered if they would lose balance and fall down on me if I called at them. (Original text selected by Andreas C.)

22 full days of cycling (I cycled a little the first day upon arriving at Nice and cycled 81 km on a travel day). I visited around 115 mountain passes. A total of 3532 km for 22 days (161 km/day). I climbed ca. 73078 m (3322 m/day). Maximum inclination/steepness: walking: 33% up Col de Traversette in snow; 42% down Grand col de Ferret. Steepest cycling was perhaps up Monte Zoncolan with 6 km at around 15% on average. Most difficult was probably Koralpenstrasse with an average gradient of 11,2% for the final 14,4 km, which make it into one of the hardest climbs in the Alps that could be cycled with a normal racer cycle. From snow to blazing sun around Nice. From Nice to Lavamünd and back again.

I cycled for 16 days and climbed 58624 m (which is 3664 m on average per day). It was 2381 km (which is 148.8 km on average per day). These figures are a bit lower than for the previous year, mainly because I visited more unpaved mountain roads (otherwise they would likely had been higher). It was between 10 (first day at the race it was much cooler in the morning) and 41° Celsius. The maximum speed was down the Kühtai pass at 91 km/h (new record for me). Steepest road I cycled was Ischgl-Viderjoch with several kilometres above 20%. Steepest road I did not cycle was down to Switzerland from Viderjoch, with ramps at 45% on average. I had thunderstorms, I had three punctures (one on asphalt and two on gravel), and a car incident in Schwaz, Austria (early on day 17 out of 21 planned days of cycling) where I got a fracture in the back and was hospitalized. (Fortunately, I fully recovered after 3-4 months.) I visited around 119 passes (106 new passes, with perhaps 100 officially recognized ones).

I travelled for 14 days and climbed 53173 m (which is 3798 m on average per day). It was 2277,75 km (which is 162,7 km on average per day). It was between 4 and 38 Celsius. The maximum speed was (probably) down the Nufenen Pass at 79 km/h. The maximum inclination up a pass road was probably at around 19% (Col du St. Bernard). I had rain on several days, I had a wheel damaged, and a rib fractured. I visited around 75 passes.

I took a photo at Croce de la Roley [...] and I thought it looked rather steep down there - I had to go down this steep part on a zig-zagging steep path. It did not seeem very difficult apart from that I now had to lift the bicycle for most of the time. I suddenly lost my balance and fell together with my bicycle without control down the steepest part of the mountainside! I happily stopped at the next lace in the path, which was lucky as I felt like I was gaining speed down there...

I soon was on my way up to Col d'Azet (1580 m) - it was blazingly hot so I was lucky I stayed by the shop before starting the second climb of the day. There were really many cyclists out now as the Tour de France was now only something like three hour behind us ;-). At the start of the real climb there were two italians who passed by me looking very serious and I again could not help but try to figure out just how good these chaps could be. I noticed they got slightly irritated by not be able to shake me off, although they at a few places got away from me a couple of meters, I simply did not give up and always catched up with them. When approaching the top I for some reason got some extra strength and just slowly raised the speed until they both had to give up and they stopped to shake hands with me at the top and a waiting girlfriend (of them) took the photo here. The average speed up this climb was around 14 km/h, which I think is rather good for an amateur like me. The Tour de France riders do not go terribly much faster really (maybe up to 18 km/h perhaps - do not exactly though).

This was a smaller road and, as often on narrower roads, it were very nice scenery around there, as you could see. It was a somewhat hilarious ride down to the valley below and I continued down the valley to Arreau where I had lunch. Now I had taken off from the Tour route for the day (they were going to Plan d'Adet - just across the valley from the Azet col).

I thought I should now take it a bit easier and not compete. I started gently on my way up to Col d'Aspin (1489 m), but soon there were an englishman (from the Docklands in London) passing by me and I changed my speed a little and followed him. We were both raising the speed a little and it thus turned into yet another competition (with almost as many people on the side of the road as previously despite that this was the Tour road for tomorrow). Well, a bit easier than with the Italians I sprinted away from him at the top of the Col and we talked a little and had someone take a photo of us both.